Ley Lines
by Ismira Daugene
Summary: Sarah is magically transported into the middle of a supernatural All Hallow's Eve celebration and calls upon the Goblin King for help.


**A/N:** This is a short one-shot in response to the October challenge over at jdbfangirlharem.

Please let me know how you like it… I thought it might have been a little too cliché in some of their conversations… but I'll wait to see what you people say.

**Challenge Stipulations:**

**Characters: **Jareth/Sarah plus any others

**Genre: **Romance either by itself or in combination with any others

**Length: **One-shot

**Elements to include: **A black cat, demon, magical brooms and the Dance of

the Dead.

_ What the hell just happened?_ Sarah Williams thought frantically to herself. One minute she'd been walking down the street toward her newly rented apartment and then the next minute she'd found herself in the middle of a wooded area, bonfires blazing in a large circle, dark figures dancing around the bonfires, and black cats streaking through the crowds. Drums beat out a rhythm for the dancers; Sarah could feel it pounding in her chest. Her breathing hitched as she looked up and saw what looked like witches flying overhead on broomsticks.

Sarah clutched her arms around herself, trying to figure out how she'd ended up in the middle of the circle of bonfires. Looking around, she spotted a gap in the revelers and made a dash towards it. On her way, she tripped over a cat that darted across her path and flew forward, crashing into the leaves and dirt. Sarah quickly got to her feet and scampered between the dancers, trying not to notice that they had horns and long forked tails.

Once out of the immediate circle and into a quieter part of the forest, Sarah leaned against a tree to catch her breath. How the hell had she gotten here? To her knowledge there wasn't an actual forest like this within a fifty-mile radius of the city. Of course, the presence of witches on magical broomsticks and dancing demons made it possible she wasn't in a fifty-mile radius of her home… let alone her world. She had a strong suspicion that this had something to do with a certain blond-haired Goblin King.

Steadying herself, Sarah prepared to call to her old foe. "I wish the Goblin King was here, right now!" she said into the cool night air.

She waited for something to happen, some sign that her wish had been acknowledged, a lightening strike, a sudden wind, a crack of thunder, but none of that happened. Sarah pushed herself away from the tree and took a few steps to the side to peer around it, in search of a dark shadow with platinum blond flyaway hair. Letting out a sigh, her shoulders slumped. Perhaps she was crazy to call on him after all this time. Maybe this wasn't his fault? But who else's could it be? She didn't know any other being with the power to transport people from one world to the next. "Looking for someone, precious?" a soft voice whispered next to her ear.

Sarah jumped and spun a full one hundred and eighty degrees to find Jareth the Goblin King standing quite close and smirking down at her. Her heart was pounding a million miles an hour and she could feel herself shaking, though she wasn't sure if it was from the misty cool night or from the scare she'd just had. "I – I didn't think you'd answer," she stammered out.

"For you precious, I'll always answer."

Sarah took a step back, only to find herself against a tree. She studied the sharp planes of the Goblin King's face by the light of the full moon; he looked like some kind of ethereal god. He wore dark garments, knee high leather boots, a tunic with gold embroidery along the plunging neckline, and breeches that looked like a second skin. A flowing cloak that looked like there were stars woven into it and held together over his collarbone with an owl pendant completed the ensemble. Her eyes returned to his face to find it frowning. Was he angry she had called him? "You're hurt," he said looking at her thigh.

Sarah looked down and blanched at the sight of a stick the size of her index finger sticking out of her upper thigh. It must have stabbed her when she fell. It hadn't hurt… until now. Now that she knew about it, she could feel it, stabbing into her. Her breathing grew more rapid and she felt faint. She felt Jareth's hand on her shoulder, forcing her down to sit at the base of the tree. "Oh god… I think I'm gonna puke. I need a hospital," Sarah gulped.

Jareth gave her a look she could decide was worry or amusement and placed a hand on her thigh near the stick jutting up through her now bloody jeans. Sarah hissed in pain. "I can fix this, but you need to sit still," he said reassuringly. Sarah nodded, tears forming the corners of her eyes. "Hold on to me," Jareth directed her. Sarah grabbed hold of his upper arm as though anchoring herself. "Now be prepared, this is going to hurt. I'll count to three then pull it out. Here, bite down on this," he gave her another stick.

Sarah nodded and bit down on the stick, still holding on firmly to the Goblin King's bicep. "Ready? One… Two…" Jareth gave a yank, pulling the stick out in one swift movement.

Sarah screamed and swore. "What the hell happened to three, god damnit?" she yelled at him as soon as she spat the stick out of her mouth.

Jareth raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't reply. He pressed a hand firmly over her the small hole in her thigh, staunching the bleeding. Sarah clenched at his arm still, trying not to throw up from the pain. After a minute, Jareth lifted his hand to reveal a perfectly healthy leg, even though blood still covered the surrounding denim and his hands. Sarah stared at the smooth skin. "Is it fixed?"

Jareth nodded, "You are healed."

"Thank you," she replied still staring at her leg.

A moment passed before Jareth grunted a little in pain, "Can I have my arm back? I hear circulation is important." Sarah let go immediately. "Thank you."

Jareth stood and rubbed his arm where Sarah was sure she'd left bruises on his bicep. He held a hand out to her to help her up; she took it and stood. "So, Sarah my dear, what are you doing out in a misty cold forest at midnight far from your cozy apartment and so close to a supernatural All Hallows' Eve Dance of the Dead?"

Sarah glared up at him; how did he know where she lived? She decided to let it pass in favor of finding out just where she was. "I seem to have stumbled through a portal or been transported here. I was walking down the street to my apartment when I found myself in the middle of some kind of celebration back there," Sarah pointed back towards where the demons were dancing around the bonfires. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about it would you?" she asked accusingly.

"Moi?" Jareth asked surprised. "Why would you assume I had anything to do with this?"

"Oh I don't know, magic, witches, demons… sounds right up your alley, Goblin King!"

Jareth coughed a little. "Demons are not goblins, Sarah…"

Sarah glared at him, her hands resting on her hips. "You know what I mean!"

Jareth let out a dramatic sigh, "I can assure you, despite your insistence at making me the villain, I had nothing to do with your being here, precious."

"Well then how the hell did I get here?" Sarah asked, nearly shouting.

"Please, calm yourself," Jareth said, becoming annoyed. "I'm guessing, that because it is All Hallows' Eve, and the ley lines are more prominent in your world at this time, combined with the fact that you've been to the Underground and still carry some of its magic, you did this yourself."

"What?"

"Because you've been to the Underground, you are more susceptible to magical things. I'm guessing that you crossed a ley line while walking back to your apartment and it transported you here."

"But… that's never happened before!"

"No precious, that's where the part about it being All Hallows' Eve comes in."

"Oh… Well – how do I get back?"

Jareth smiled, "I'm afraid you don't, not until after the revelry that is."

"Why the hell not?" Sarah asked, her temper rising again.

"Because, my dear, the ley lines will just pull you back. You spent ten whole hours in the my kingdom and soaked up an awful lot of it's magic."

"So why weren't you pulled here?"

"Because I, unlike you, have learned how to manage magic and avoid such an unpleasant journey."

"Oh… So… what do we do now?"

"Now, we wait until dawn."

"But that's like six hours away!"

"Yes, I'll wait with you if you like?"

Sarah looked up into his eyes. He seemed earnest in his offer and she really didn't want to be left alone with the demons and witches. "I think I'd like that," she replied, blushing.

Jareth smiled at her acceptance. "Shall we walk?" he asked offering her an arm.

Sarah took it and let him lead her into the woods. He seemed to be following a path only he could see. "So where exactly are we?" she asked after a few minutes.

"I believe we are in the Lynn Woods near Salem, Massachusetts."

Sarah took a moment to process this. "Wait, we're still in my world?"

"Yes."

"But… what about all those… things back there?" Sarah asked pointing behind them.

"I told you, the ley lines are more prominent tonight and it allows for creatures from my world to travel to your world."

"Oh, but I live in Boston…" she said as though unwilling to believe that such mystical beings could appear in such an urbanized state as Massachusetts.

"I know."

Sarah leveled a suspicious look at him, "And just how do you know?"

"I've checked in on you from time to time. It's not everyday someone beats my labyrinth, Sarah. Especially someone who I seem to care for so much."

Sarah stopped in her tracks. Had the Goblin King just admitted to loving her?

"Something wrong, my dear?" Jareth asked when she'd stopped.

"What did you say?"

"It's not everyday someone beats my labyrinth, in fact nobody else has, besides you that is."

"No… the other part."

Jareth looked at her, as though afraid she would run away, and grabbed hold of her hand as though to make sure she wouldn't. "I said, dear Sarah, that I seem to care for you." Sarah's mind reeled at the implications. Does that mean all he'd said before she defeated him; all that (what she'd thought to be nonsense) stuff about obeying him and loving him was real? "You must surely have realized this. After the ball I threw for you, after all I asked of you before your final words were spoken," he said, his words mirroring her reflections.

"Jareth… I was a child. I didn't understand at the time."

"And what about now?"

"I – I'm not sure. I mean I understand it. I'm just not sure how I _feel_ about it. It's a lot to take in," she replied letting go of his hand in her gesticulations.

Jareth nodded and continued leading her down the path that only he seemed to see. Sarah walked silently beside him, studying him and what she'd just learned. He _was_ quite handsome, and he _had_ healed her without her asking it of him. Sarah thought back to his speech of nearly seven years ago. "_I ask for so little. Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave._" That was closely followed by, "_I ask so little. Just let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want._" Sarah, while surprised by Goblin King's emotions toward her, didn't find them repulsive in the least. In fact, she found she liked it. After all, how often do you find your fairy tale prince? Or in this case king?

Sarah slipped her hand back into Jareth's as she moved closer to him while the continued walking. He looked down at her, surprise showing in his eyes, which quickly turned to joy. They walked in silence for a little bit, simply enjoying each other's presence until Sarah stumbled. Jareth caught her, keeping her from falling again. "Thanks," she said drowsily.

"I think someone is getting tired," he smiled at her, not removing his hand from her waist.

Sarah nodded, "Well yeah, I mean what time is it? Like, one in the morning?"

"1:28," Jareth confirmed. "Would you like to sit?"

"Where? There doesn't seem to be any benches in the middle of the woods…"

Jareth smirked and conjured a blanket out of thin air and placed it on the ground near a tree. He sat on it, his back against the tree and patted the spot next to him. Sarah made to sit next to him, but Jareth pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his cloak around them both. Sarah made a small sound of protest, but without much conviction; she wasn't quite sure if it was because of how nice and warm it was wrapped in his cloak or if it was because of how tired she was and how comfy Jareth was to lean against.

Jareth placed a chaste kiss against her temple and rested his head on top of hers. Sarah felt this was the safest and most cozy she'd ever felt with her head resting on the Goblin King's chest, his head on top of hers, his arms wrapped around her, keeping the cloak closed to conserve the heat. Her comfort only intensified when she felt a soft rumble in Jareth's chest as he began to hum a soft melody. The familiar notes floated in the air, making her eyelids droop even more until she couldn't keep them open.

Jareth smiled at the sleeping woman in his arms, and continued to hum their song.

**o O o O o O o**

Dawn came silently six hours later to find two people huddled together in a lover's embrace. Their breath made small pockets of fog in the air, but neither shivered for cold. The first creatures of the day began to stir and approach the couple, only to deem the new comers nonthreatening. They went back to their daily routine, leaving the Fae creature and the human to sleep a couple hours more.

**o O o O o O o**

_Labyrinth_ (c) Henson & Froud


End file.
